Brown rats, mice and hamsters as well as other rodents are quite small pets and sometimes, we don’t even think about dealing with them being overweight. However, if we like our pets and we want them to be well and stay with us as long as possible, their weight needs to be checked.
I’ve seen hamsters so fat that they could barely fit in the hole to get into their house and their legs could barely bear them. Rodents do not belong to long-lived animals and a bad lifestyle may even shorten their lives. Therefore, do not underestimate their balanced diet and if needed, check their food portions.
Checking a rodent’s weight might be a bit more difficult than checking a dog’s or cat’s weight. Weight fluctuations are not so obvious in rodents due to their small size. Therefore, even if your rodent does not look exactly obese, its nutritional health should be under your control. If you don’t know how to do that, here are a few tips for you:
The fundamental thing is a healthy and balanced diet. It slightly differs for each rodent. For example, rats need more protein and less fat in their food than mice. And also rabbits, guinea pigs or hamsters have different needs with regard to the composition of their food. Therefore, it is important to feed them with mixtures determined specifically for the given type of a rodent and also pick suitable supplements for them.
Also be careful if you choose food in the form of seed mixture. Even rodents are sometimes picky and they will choose only the seed they like which then leads to unbalanced nutrition. Weigh their food and do not allow unlimited access to it for your rodents. Even the healthiest food might lead to obesity with enormous consumptions.
Even treats should be healthy. And don’t forget about moderation. Fruits and vegetables might be great food supplements. But first learn what kinds are suitable for your pet. You may also decide for healthy bought goodies. They consist of dried herbs, fruits and vegetables. Not only that they do not harm the animal, they can even support its immune system.
Besides healthy food, enough exercises is also important, of course. Therefore, make sure your animal has a sufficiently large cage or another type of accommodation and it does not lack enough inputs for games such as a running wheel, various tunnels and constructions and other similar things and you may also let it run around often enough. Branches and other toys for chewing are also great.
Even if you provide your pet with enough exercise and the proper amount of balanced and healthy food, its weight is worth observing. Rodent obesity might mean also serious health problems besides diet mistakes. In such case, the condition of your rodent is worth consulting with a vet.
Do you manage to have the weight of your rodent under control or do you fight obesity? And how did you manage to get your pet in shape again?
Cats are no longer the outside countryside homeless animals that come closer to a house just for a while when they are in the mood for it. Rather the opposite, they have started living in city flats and have adjusted to our lifestyle. However, it’s...
Rabbits are popular pets especially for city flats. It’s because they don’t require a lot of space and don’t need to go outside very often (no garden needed). However, it doesn’t mean taking care of them is easy and no time or efforts are needed. We...
It sounds lovely: a dog gets a command, it does it and gets a treat or a reward for that. It won’t end with one moment in the perfect case and it will become the basic idea of a whole training for a dog that will become an obedient pet using positive...
Every dog owner knows that feeling when (s)he has to leave house to work or (s)he can’t take his/her pet with him/her for any reason and (s)he doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Can a dog handle the situation or will it bark and go on the rampage?...
Fear is natural for people and everyone has their own fears. While someone is scared of spiders, heights or confined spaces, others are scared of dogs. This fear is common in children who haven’t explored the world so well yet and who don’t know the...
Guinea pigs are popular pets especially in families with kids. They are small animals that can bring a lot of joy. If you consider buying a guinea pig, there are some aspects you shouldn’t neglect before making the decision. We talked about what to...
Have you heard about sport called Disc Dog? It basically consists of throwing a disc to your dog that fetches it. Disc Dog can be done as a recreational or a professional sport. For professional competitors, there are several disciplines for which...
Siberian Cat is quite a new breed that was only recognized by the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) in 1992. It emerged from crossbreeding domestic cats and breeds brought from the Near East and it found its home in Russia and Ukraine where it...
Most of us have this long thought-to-be-true idea that one dog year equals to seven human years. So, if you have a two-year-old puppy at home, it is already 14 years old when compared to humans. Therefore, if you have a ten-year-old dog at home, it is...
Breast milk is, in the beginning of life, the best thing a pup can get from its mother. It is full of the nutrients it needs to grow and develop properly. However, as the offsprings grow, milk needs to be supplemented with other food, so they are...
Cat lovers and breeders know very well that one cat is often not enough, and that there is sometimes a need to get another cat companion. However, this decision will affect the whole household and, above all, it is necessary to prepare the cat you...
Many of us are under the influence of the need to fulfill a dream of getting an unconventional pet, which the minipig certainly is. This trend has been present in the Czech Republic for about ten years. But don’t be fooled by those cute snouts, taking...
